⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.^{(A) 6} Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way^(B) to destroy^(C) all Mordecai’s people, the Jews,^(D) throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

⁷ In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur^(E) (that is, the lot^(F)) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on^[a] the twelfth month, the month of Adar.^(G)